I Watch Too Much TV

TV is a big part of what I do. TV has the best writing now and probably has had for some time.

1. Breaking Bad. This badass and truly sick (Thank you, Uncle Bill) series is a drama masterpiece. Consistently high quality episodes with several "WTF" moments. It burns with a light that blinds. If you've missed out, there's time to catch up before some blogger spoils it for you.

"The Swede" on Hell on Wheels.
Watch out. This is one crazy and plotting son-of-a-bitch.
Brilliant acting by Christopher Heyerdahl.

2. Hell on Wheels. The first season was good, but season two has found it's engine. There wasn't a single misstep this whole season and the finale was jaw-dropping (literally). Heyerdahl should win an Emmy, hands-down. Anything less is treason.
3. Dexter. There has not been a bad season of this series. That says a lot about this show because even The Sopranos had some lame seasons.
Gore and dark humor abound, but it's the characters and story lines that keep me coming back.

4. The Walking Dead. After season two's glacial pace, the noted exception being the last "barn burning" episode, this zombie series may finally become the horrifying, flesh-eating goodness that it should. Every episode of a great series has to have "wtf" moments. Fingers crossed that this season will surprise, delight and freak out. I have a feeling we won't be disappointed.

5. Inspector Lewis. Lewis may be a less educated man than his predecessor, but his relative simplicity is reflected in this "hold the pomp, bring on the murders" PBS favorite. Call it the thinking person's detective series.

"Slow the cray cray roll, Ms. Conspiracy Theory."

6. Homeland. Well done first season with plenty of twists. Hell, it's got Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers) in it and Claire Danes as every cray cray girlfriend you ever had, minus the Lithium. Both Lewis and Danes took the Emmy.

7. Boardwalk Empire. Total kickass show. Shut the hell up and start watching.

8. The Borgias. Jeremy Irons is a total hoot as a most unsaintly pope with a keen knowledge of how to win wars, keep kingdoms and bed hot women. Great supporting cast as well.

9. Falling Skies. This show seemed to be stuck looking at its own reflection with delusions of a gritty, dystopian tale of the last fighting survivors in a post alien takeover. What's there is weak and repetitive dialogue (Can someone please just shoot the captain so we can get out of the faux tough soldier shit?), predictable characters and metal robots that look like plastic toys. I don't even like the look of the show.
10. Game of Thrones. Me likey, but I sometimes wonder why the story seems to be a little more convoluted than it should be.

11. Nurse Jackie. Drug addicted nurse Jackie used to have her dirty little secret under control and now the havoc of her addiction has poisoned every aspect of her life. Good casting and colorful characters make this watchable.

12. Weeds. The season finale was done right, albeit with some ridiculous contrivances and story lines that went nowhere. Compared to last season, which was an epic fail, this funny, this sexy stoner series went off to DVD land with a decent ending.